Ethan glances at a notification on his phone, “Carter is here already.”
John nods, “Ladies, let’s get comfortable shall we? Can I start by taking your sweaters?”
Rachel strips her off and tosses it over to Scott, making him shake his head and chuckle.
Helping Shannon out of her jacket, John brushes soft butterfly kisses across her shoulder, cherishing her for the goddess she truly is in that dress.
Ethan stands behind Olivia patiently waiting to help take off her sweater. Feeling like she’s way out of her depth and in way over her head, she considers leaving. It’s too overwhelming. Ethan is going to freak when he sees this dress, she’s sure of it. She closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. This was a very bad idea. Noticing her anxiety, the other girls become nervous for her.
Ethan steps up behind her and presses his chest against her back, moving his hands to her hips he holds her firmly. Curious about her hesitation he leans his mouth against her ear and whispers, “Baby? Is everything okay?”
She swallows hard and figures it’s best to get it over with. Like ripping off a band-aid. Take off the sweater and get the yelling over with. “Yes.”
“Do you want to take off your sweater?” he prods gently.
“Yes, of course.” She looks nervously over at Rachel and tries to relax as she undoes the tie at the front and then lets him slip it from her shoulders.
After handing it to John, Ethan stands perfectly still behind her, quietly taking in her appearance. Olivia feels the tension creep through his muscles as he stiffens behind her.
Loud angry words echo in the room, “What are you wearing? For fuck’s sake! What were you thinking? Do you have any idea the thoughts that are going to go through every man’s mind tonight, when they see you in that dress?”
Everybody turns their attention to the doorway, utterly shocked at his angry outburst.
“Carter?” Ethan says, lifting his eyebrows in question.
“Tell her, Ethan. Tell her she’s not wearing that dress tonight. Haul her ass home right now and make her change into something else.” His hard jaw sets in a rigid line.
Olivia’s body tenses under his scrutiny. “Carter,” she says softly, as he approaches her.
“Christ almighty! Could there be any less material in the front?” Looking at her breasts and the way that the strapless bra barely holds them firmly in place, he shakes his head. “Ethan?” he persists, “Are you going to tell me this is okay with you?” Razor sharp fury dangerously hangs on his words.
Taking another long look at her, Ethan clenches his jaw as he looks back at Carter. The tension in the air is so thick it creates a heavy feeling that makes everyone struggle to breathe. Shannon and Olivia glance at each other silently acknowledging the reason for Carter’s reaction.
Ethan finally speaks, “I think she looks beautiful, Carter. If this is the dress she wants to wear, then I’m not going to make her change. What’s wrong with you?” Smiling at her, he gently rubs his hands up and down her arms, making her feel at ease.
Carter’s face turns red and he turns sharply towards Ethan, his eyes lit with anger. Erupting like a tornado, he overturns a chair or two. Stomping out of the room, he causes things to tip and fall to the ground.
Ethan looks to John. Without further instruction, John nods and immediately goes after him.
“Well, that was interesting.” Ethan glances over at Olivia. “Is there something I should know?”
Starting to panic, she looks over at Shannon who grimaces. Big help she is, “No, Ethan. I’m just as surprised at his reaction as you are.”
Shannon finally steps in, “I think Carter is just being over protective. He thinks of Olivia like a little sister.”
Ethan’s not buying it, “Right, a little sister. And that’s why he hit me the other night?”
“Right,” Shannon agrees trying to make it sound logical and failing miserably.
He clenches his jaw and then forces himself to relax. Shaking his head, “Okay, then. Let’s just go with that.” Considering anything else would make him lose his mind.
Taking Olivia’s hand, he gives it a little tug. “Come with me to my office, there’s something I want to give you.”
“Is it an orgasm?” she asks, feeling hopeful. “I haven’t had any of those today. My boyfriend has been neglecting me.” She can’t think of a better way to break the tension.
Laughing once, he shakes his head. “No, there will be plenty of those later. I promise.”
Following him quietly to the office, she feels awkward as they pass Carter and John. Engaged in a heated discussion in the bar, Carter stares at her as she passes. Locking his gaze to hers, he makes her experience unwanted feelings. The dark intensity in his eyes forces her to look away from him. She grips Ethan’s hand so tightly that it startles him, making him look at her curiously.
When they’re safely in the privacy of his office, Ethan finally breathes. There’s a small box on his desk, topped with a small pink bow. “I bought this for you. I’d like you to wear it this evening.”
Olivia’s heartbeat ratchets up a notch as he hands the small golden box to her. She looks up at him nervously, lifting the lid to see inside. It’s the most beautiful pendant, she has ever seen, threaded onto a gold chain.
“Ethan! It’s beautiful!” She holds her hand to her heart and tries to choke back the emotional response that’s threatening to bring tears to her eyes.
Reaching over, he takes it out of the box, and holds it up, offering to help her to put it on. “This is a Celtic love knot”
“I know what it is, and I love it!”
“I want you to wear it, so that every time I see it on you, I’ll know that you’ve given yourself to me. That, you’re mine, only mine.”
She lifts the few loose curls off her shoulder. Letting it fall into place around her neck, he fastens the clasp, and then presses his lips against her neck. Inhaling her perfume is making him have wicked, naughty thoughts. He groans, trying to maintain his self-control. “You know, I normally like you’re hair down around your shoulders, but I don’t mind it like this. You look absolutely gorgeous tonight.”
Her enchanting blush sends a signal straight to his cock, telling it to get hard.
“So, you’re not upset about the dress?” she asks, curiously.
“Sweetheart, you are stunning in that dress.”
Letting out a long breath, she indicates her relief.
“But I do understand Carter’s concern.” Running his hand up her thigh to the hem of the dress, he confirms that even the smallest bend or lean, will have her exposing her crotch. Her bare shoulders and the beautiful swell of her breasts are inviting. Not a man in the room will be able to avoid looking at them. Ethan’s cock gets harder. Shaking his head, he puts those untamed thoughts out of his mind. He has other things to focus on tonight, “Let’s just keep you close to me tonight, alright?”
Olivia nods. A night of sticking close to Ethan O’Connell? Who would complain about that?
A loud crash comes from outside followed by a vulgar barrage of Irish swearing. Just in time. A moment longer and he would have had her out of her panties with her dress hiked up over her hips. Folding her over his desk, he’d have his wicked Irish way with her, fast and hard. Growling, Ethan erases that image out of his mind. “Sounds like my boys are here. I want to introduce you.”
Seeing them, the boys take a break from setting up the equipment. As they approach, Ethan puts his arm around her possessively. It’s the best feeling in the world. Trevor and Brian hop down off the stage and make their way over to them.
“Boys. This is my girl, Olivia James.”
They all nod and grin mischievously. Olivia has the feeling that she’s already been the topic of a few foul-mouthed ‘frat boy’ like conversations.
“Olivia,” he continues, “This is Trevor, Nigel, Brian and James.”
“Oh,” she says sounding somewhat disappointed.
Ethan q
uirks his eyebrow at her, “Something wrong?”
Embarrassed by her reaction, she tries to explain. “No, not at all. It’s just that, I thought they’d have colorful nicknames.”
They all laugh and individually re-introduce themselves as they shake her hand.
“Mac.”
“Slug.”
“Shooter.”
“Griff.”
“Hardly colorful,” Ethan adds, pulling her closer to him when he notices Griff’s appreciative stare.
“Okay, boys, I’ll leave you to it.” He leads Olivia back to the bar and leaves her with Rachel and Shannon, while he meets with the security team and goes over last minute instructions.
“Oh my God! Your necklace is gorgeous!” Shannon squeals.
Olivia glows and raises her hand to it, picking it up and rubbing her thumb over the design. “Thank you.” Looking across the room, she sees Griff staring at her. She shivers, as his imposing look gives her the chills.
“What’s wrong?” Rachel asks, noticing her reaction.
“Ethan’s friend, Griffin. There’s something about him that just gives me the creeps. Do you know him Shannon?”
Glancing over in his direction, she catches him looking, “No, not really. I know who he is. But there must be something a little off with him because John asked me to stay away from him.”
“Hmmm,” Rachel adds. “Odd that Ethan would associate with someone like that. I’m sure he wouldn’t try anything with Ethan around, so just ignore him.”
“I agree,” Shannon says. “It’s going to be stressful enough dealing with Carter tonight.”
Olivia puts her hand to her forehead. “Oh my God! I know, right? What was that?”
“I think we all know what that was,” Shannon says.
“I wish I could have gotten a picture of the look on O’Connell’s face,” Rachel laughs.
“Not funny,” Olivia scolds her. “I need a drink.”
It isn’t long before security is in place, sound checks are done, and guests start to file in. Ethan tries to keep Olivia close to his side, but he’s constantly pulled away. In his absence both John and Carter, keep a watchful eye on her.
Through the crowd, Olivia sees a familiar face and smiles as she makes her way towards her. “Cindy! Hi! How are you? You’re not working tonight?”
Cindy pouts, “No, I took the night off. I’m horrible actually.”
All the girls gather around to find out what’s going on, “Is everything okay with you and Noah?”
“Yes, I really like him. He’s a great guy. We were supposed to meet here and hang out tonight but he just texted me.”
“Oh, no,” Olivia knows how that feels. “Did he blow you off?”
“No, he’s here but Ethan has him on the no entry list. Security won’t let him in. He’s hanging around outside in the parking lot. I’m just going to get my stuff and leave, I guess.”
Olivia looks annoyed, “There must be a mistake. I can’t believe Ethan would do that.”
“Believe it,” Shannon says rolling her eyes. “I saw the no entry list. It’s almost as long as the guest list.”
Olivia narrows her eyes, “Do you think he’s on the no entry list because of me?”
Shannon nods, “Oh yeah, him and every other man that’s looked at you in the past week. I’m surprised he hasn’t thrown Carter out yet.”
“That’s unacceptable,” Olivia says, greatly annoyed. “Who is security at the door right now?” Standing on her tiptoes, she tries to see over the crowd.
“Travis. Why?”
“Perfect!” she says, as she takes Cindy’s arm. “Come with me.”
“What are you going to do?” Cindy asks curiously.
“Ethan had Travis assigned to keep an eye on my house the other day. He and I are good friends now.” She smiles mischievously. “He’d be out of a job if Ethan knew just how friendly he was.”
“Olivia, please don’t do anything that’s going to cause problems between you and Ethan. Noah and I can just find something else to do tonight.”
“Nonsense. I’m not afraid of Ethan.”
Travis looks up and smiles as she approaches the door. He’s built like a linebacker with his broad shoulders and well-honed muscles. His straight black hair hangs just above his shoulders and his goatee is meticulously trimmed.
“Hey!” she says returning his smile.
“Hi! You look awesome.” He quickly looks around for his boss before taking a longer appreciative look.
“Thanks!” she blushes. “Listen, Travis I think there’s been a mistake. One of my friends seems to be on the wrong list, and they won’t let him in.”
“Oh? Who is that?”
“Noah Thompson.”
Cindy fidgets uncomfortably as her eyes scan the room watching for Ethan. Travis runs his finger down the list on the clipboard until he comes across it. “He’s on the no entry list Olivia. Ethan would kill me if I let him in.”
“Travis,” she says smiling. “Noah is a friend of mine. Surely, he’s on the wrong list. You can let him in for me, right?” She walks her fingers up his arm and twists them around the sleeve that partially reveals heavily tattooed, tensed biceps. She uses every feminine trick she has to flirt her way into changing his mind. “I could go and interrupt Ethan, if you want me to, but you know that he’ll just tell you to let my friend in, right? Does it make sense to bother him when he’s so busy?”
“I don’t know, Olivia,” Travis hesitates.
“Don’t you think he’ll be pissed that you even questioned me?” she asks, batting her eyelashes.
Travis looks over at Ethan who is dealing with photographers and band members. He looks into Olivia’s beautiful hazel eyes, and then glances down her body, taking in every curve and dip. Pausing, he tilts his head to the side and purses his lips. Staring at the length of her dress, he curses and shakes his head “I can’t imagine any man being able to deny you a single thing while you’re wearing that dress,” he gives her a wide smile, crosses through Noah’s name on the no entry list, and adds it to the guest list.
“Thank you, Travis,” she says, leaning in and brushing her lips against his cheek. When she turns around, she avoids John’s curious stare as he watches from a short distance away.
“Text Noah, and let him know he’s good to go now,” she says, winking at Cindy.
John stops Olivia, on her way back to her friends, “Is everything okay?”
Olivia hides a smile, “Yes, there was just a misunderstanding, that’s all.”
John looks at her trying to gauge the mischief she’s engaged in. There’s no innocence in that smile, “Ethan has put me in charge of keeping you safe tonight, and I intend to do so. Is there something you need to tell me so that I can do my job effectively? Because if something happens to you, Ethan will have my ass.”
“No, everything is fine, John.” Looking around the room, she avoids eye contact.
“Look at me,” he says in an extremely stern voice. Startled, her eyes snap back at him obediently. Did that tone just come from John?
“Olivia… Ethan doesn’t have to know everything, but if there is something going on that affects your safety, you need to tell me. Understand?”
“Yes, John. There is one thing. Ethan’s friend, Griffin.”
“What about him?”
“He makes me nervous. Every time I turn around, he’s staring at me. I’m getting a really bad feeling.”
John looks up just in time to catch Griff in the act. Nodding, he acknowledges her concern, “Okay, don’t let him get you alone. You, Shannon, and Rachel stay together. Nobody leaves the building without me or Carter.”
“Okay.”
“Once everyone is in and the first band gets underway, things should settle down a bit, and we can join you. Until then, stay out of trouble.”
Olivia tries hard not to smile, “I’ll try, John.”
John shakes his head in frustration, “Christ, you and O’Connell were made for
each other.”
Olivia thinks about that for a moment and a proud grin spreads wide across her lips. “It took me a long time to figure that out, but now I can’t disagree,” she says, with a cheeky tone.
“Best you don’t. It’s an argument you would lose with me. He has definitely met his match in you, Olivia.”
Olivia flutters her eyelashes playfully, “Why John, you say the sweetest things.”
John gives her a hardened stare: indicating that he’s not impressed with her frivolity, “Please take me seriously. You’re safety is non-negotiable.”
“Yes, Dad,” she says mocking him as she starts to walk away. Boy, is he uptight tonight. The moment she’s a few steps away, John starts to grin. It’s about time O’Connell found a woman that’s his equal in every way.
Chapter Eight
An hour later, the club is at capacity and Ethan is extremely busy. Several times, he makes a point to find Olivia and give her a kiss or a possessive hug, but his attention is continually dragged away.
The three girls are having a great time drinking, dancing, and enjoying the music. In between the live bands, one of Toronto’s hottest DJs, DJ Climax, plays. Without question, Ethan and John know how to plan a successful event.
Rachel and Shannon make their way into the bar to get another drink, leaving Olivia standing alone watching the dance floor. Suddenly, she’s trapped against the railing by a hard body, pressing into her from behind. She knows from the height that it’s not Ethan. She tenses, terrified that it’s Sam. Her heart races as her eyes quickly skirt around the room looking for John. For the first time tonight, he isn’t hovering a foot away. Strong hands on her hips hold her captive, as lips press against the top of her head, “Hello, beautiful.”
Letting out a sigh of relief, she tilts her head back, looking up at him and smiling. Noah. It’s difficult to describe their relationship. Together they’ve always had an amazing chemistry, an undeniable attraction, but something always seemed to be off. She had often wondered if they were meant to be together but tragically missed their chance at love. Now she knows that’s not the truth. She belongs to Ethan, irrefutably. She was never really available for Noah. Somehow, her heart had known it all along.
Souls ReAligned Page 10
